Could veteran feline Chloe be Mansfield’s oldest cat?

Kathleen Jackson pictured with her cat Chloe who she thinks may be the oldest in Mansfield

Published:09:31Tuesday 17 January 2017

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When Chloe the cat was born Prime Minister John Major had just resigned and British Crown rule in Hong Kong had come to an end.

And the elderly feline might just be the oldest living in Mansfield, having reached the equivalent of 96 human years.

Kathleen Jackson pictured with her cat Chloe who she thinks may be the oldest in Mansfield

The average lifespan of a cat is about 15 years, but Chloe turns 20 this year.

Kathleen Jackson, of Sherwood Hall Road, Forest Town said her pet’s secret to a long life is eating her favourite treat of wafer-thin chicken – and being waited on hand and foot.

Pampered Chloe is a domestic tortoiseshell shorthair and can often be found hugging a radiator or pottering around in the garden.

Asda worker Miss Jackson said: “She used to be a fantastic hunter when she was younger, leaving me with a live weasel running around my bedroom once, but nowadays she toddles around the garden and sleeps a lot.”

Kathleen Jackson pictured with her cat Chloe who she thinks may be the oldest in Mansfield

Britain’s oldest cat is 26-year-old Tammy, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, who is just seven months younger than American moggy Corduroy, who was born in August 1989 and, according to Guinness World Records, is the oldest living feline.

Miss Jackson has owned Chloe since she was just a few weeks old, having seen a litter of kittens advertised in the Chad.

She said: “I went to have a look and Chloe fell asleep in my hand, so I had to have her.”

Miss Jackson also owns two other cats, Max and Bailey, and the three felines are firm friends.

Kathleen Jackson pictured with her cat Chloe who she thinks may be the oldest in Mansfield

She said: “The others love her and protect her if she goes outside. They look after her.

“ They do get on well together, but Chloe does sometimes ignore them when they get too lively, as they are a lot younger than her.”

Apart from a slight heart murmur and a small amount of arthritis, Chloe is in good health and her owner hopes the pair will have many more happy years together.

Miss Jackson said: “Chloe has slowed down, but she’s still healthy so you never know, she could be in the Guinness Book of Records one day. I’d like to think she’d still be here for good few more years, every day with her is a blessing.”